could be a reference in a playlist. also check id3 v1 vs v2.x tags.
also, as it says on the main bugzilla page, please try the latest nightly.  In this case, you'll need to ddo a clear and rescan to make sure you get all new tag data. 

for future reference, an "any ideas" query really belongs on the forums.  Bugzilla should be for identifiable bugs.

1. No references in playlists that I can find.
2. I tried the latest nightly; no change in behavior with a clean install and rescan.
3. There are no v1 tags for the artist in question -- I removed them with ID3-TagIT. The v2 tags are all correct and do not include "The" in the artist name.

Then, you'll want to turn on d_scan and d_info in server settings->debugging.  Then do a full clear and scan, and check the log for that artist to find where it is coming from.

In windows, this is best done by stoppign the server and running in a command prompt:
c:\program files\slimserver\server\slim.exe --d_scan --d_info --logfile=c:\log.txt

this way you cn review the log file later and get all of the details.

Rescanning with logging turned on shows the following:

2006-10-21 16:39:59.4202 newTrack(): New Track: [file:///D:/music/American%20Analog%20Set/From%20Our%20Living%20Room%20to%20Yours/01%20Magnificent%20Seventies.mp3]
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4203 newTrack(): readTags is 1
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4213 mp3 file type for D:\music\American Analog Set\From Our Living Room to Yours\01 Magnificent Seventies.mp3
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4511 newTrack(): Created track 'Magnificent Seventies' (id: [226])
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4517 -- Track is a local track
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4614 -- Track has genre 'Post Rock'
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4720 -- Track has contributor 'American Analog Set, The' of role 'ARTIST'
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4723 -- Track has 1 contributor(s)
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4727 -- Track primary contributor is 'American Analog Set, The' (id: [36])
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4730 -- Checking for discs
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4785 -- Searching for an album with:
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4791 --- tracks.url : {
  like => "file:///D:/music/American%20Analog%20Set/From%20Our%20Living%20Room%20to%20Yours%",
}
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4794 --- me.disc : undef
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4797 --- me.title : "From Our Living Room to Yours"
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4801 --- me.discc : undef
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4824 -- Created album 'From Our Living Room to Yours' (id: [21])
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4849 -- Updating album 'From Our Living Room to Yours' (id: [21]) with columns:
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4852 --- titlesort : FROM OUR LIVING ROOM TO YOURS
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4854 --- titlesearch : FROM OUR LIVING ROOM TO YOURS
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4855 --- year : 1997
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4864 -- Track has album 'From Our Living Room to Yours' (id: [21])
2006-10-21 16:39:59.4926 -- Contributor 'American Analog Set, The' (id: [36]) linked to album 'From Our Living Room to Yours' (id: [21]) with role: 'ARTIST'

Yet iTunes and ID3-TagIT both indicate that the artist for this file is just "American Analog Set", no "The" at all. There is no v1 tag in the file, only a v2 tag. 

I found a new program to edit the mp3 id3 tags with: Mp3tag. This shows that there is an additional tag in the mp3 files in question, an APEv2 tag. Apparently SlimServer is reading that tag, while iTunes reads the id3 v2 tag. 

It seems to me that SlimServer should match the behavior of iTunes in this case, and prefer the id3 v2 tag.

If you want the APEv2 tag ignored, you should delete it.  Slimserver is not iTunes.

I would argue that most of your customers are probably using iTunes to manage their mp3 collections, so matching its behavior in this case makes sense.

Is there a different program you would recommend to manage my mp3 collection that matches SlimServer's behavior?

Tag & Rename is a common choice.  As for the debate, I've already done it more than once.  
I'm simply offering up information that you may not have had. 

Thanks for the recommendation. Tag & Rename also chooses to ignore the APE tag in an MP3 file, behaving the same as iTunes and differently than SlimServer.

Please remove the apev2 tag if you wish to have your problem corrected.  This is the last I will say on this matter, because at this point you are wasting my time.  I am a volunteer.  So, you can fix it, or deal with someone else.

hang on.  Have you tried the latest nightly build?  I just realised that you've noted 6.5.0.  Please try the 6.5.1 nightly build as it does have several tagging fixes. It is suggested on the bugzilla front page as something to do before filing a bug report.  you can find them here: http://slimdevices.com/downloads/nightly/latest/6.5

good luck.

Hi Jesse, were you able to try the 6.5.1 build?  As KDF mentioned, it does have a number of tagging fixes which look like they might fix your symptoms.

Yes, as I mentioned in comment #2, there is no change in behavior when using the 6.5.1 build.

This is still a case of the MP3::INFO library from CPAN.  We need to decide the order of operations for tag types one and for all.  The latest was to have APE as an override, and so should be deleted from downloaded or otherwise aquired tracks in order to comply.  Otherwise, change the spec ONCE AND FOR ALL.  Bouncing back and forth is a big cost in resources for the limited supply of volunteers that are available, especially considering the effect it has on external libraries being shared through CPAN.  My opinion, we've done this decision and this should be closed.

Okay, so we are probably not going to "fix" this bug as written.  You're advised to change your APE tag to be the same as your id3 tag, or remove one of the tags.

We will come up with a tag priority spec.  http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.cgi?SlimServerSupportedTags has some info but is outdated.